I’m NOT a desert person. I HATE this heat–dry or wet! I HATE losing so many months of living outside (I’m an outside person) in the killing Tucson summer time. I HATE being captive in an air conditioned tomb.

I’m like a lizard, I take on the temperature of my world. I overheat in the garden before noon, exhaust myself before 3 pm, and grieve terribly when I can’t even go out in the evening because it’s too danged hot! I shiver in the air conditioning. If I try to do anything outside, I feel the sun’s intensity eat me alive. I lose almost six months a year in Tucson! And I just don’t have that many months to lose!

I am an Irish lass–I like green, cool, wet. My realm is mountains, rivers, and the sea.

Sometimes I feel I will die in this place of drought and intolerance.

This has been a no good, awful, terrible, rotten summer. I haven’t had a single danged “get-away” and every time I’ve planned to take some time off for fun, I’ve gotten ill or some other catastrophe has sprung up. Despite boldly announcing I was going to take a few days here and a few days there to play….nothing came of it. Nothing.

So here I sit, at the edge of September, completely emptied of any love of place or circumstance…I’m quite sure if a gypsy caravan came through on its way to ANY place cool and green, I’d run away from home in an instant!

Having exhausted every bit of positive “self-talk” I could muster, having masked every disappointment of not having even a moment of cool respite this whole summer, I defaulted to my wisdom keepers. I am a follower of Cerridwen–the full moon goddess said to live on an island in a lake (be still my heart!), who helps artists and dreamers by offering solace and renewal. I decided to let the moon replenish me this month…

and to pretend summer is OVER and to start having some FUN!

Simon Silva

Like millions of women all over the world for thousands of years, I watch the full moon rise with wonder and awe–drinking it in, filling my heart with it, recalibrating my internal tides!

And things began to shift…Out of the blue (teehee) Teresa sent me this lovely handmade postcard!

And I had such fun hanging friend Lucy‘s art work in her studio, reconnecting with my old friend Ellie, spending several days on adventures with my wonderful friend Karen Z., letting my animated new art friend Bill give me a fabulous “behind the scenes” tour of the photographic museum and its archives, and sharing juicy life stories with smart, sassy Penelope S. I had lovely lunch at Café A La-cART with delightful sidekicks Anne and Teresa. I celebrated creativity and happiness with the amazing dames who call The Creative Cottage their second home.

AND I’m hatching plans to go kayaking with my water baby friend Kathy Mc and hiking with my soul-sister Penny P. and, for my birthday in mid September, I’m sooooo excited to be going on my Girlz Road Trip to the beach for a few days!

Cuz… I’m learning

So, this September, I am filling myself back up….endowing myself with pleasure, enjoying my life again…

finding the peace, the quiet, the cool I have sooooo missed!

If you have any wild, wonderful ideas for FUN, if you want to share a matinee or take a morning stroll, if you want to go to lunch, or sit under Mother Mesquite and make some art–let’s DO IT!!!!

Greetings! I recently moved back to Tucson (left in 1987) and am looking for some art classes, art journaling groups and creativity! I’ve been following your blog; lovely. I work weekdays and hope to join one of your classes soon. When will you post Oct schedule! And I hear you about the heat…. !!!

I’m trying to convince my husband that I didn’t write your blog post today! I soooo feel your pain. I’m living for the day when I can open our windows for the first time since May. Maybe another month or so?!

Let’s count the days together! Geez–I know people are starving and war-torn and in all manner of distress and I feel like such a silly woman for complaining–but golly, I hate Tucson summers!!! Glad to have an ally!